Photo By Spc. Taylor Gray | Soldiers with the Philippine Army 5th, 7th Infantry Division and U.S. Army with the...... read more read more
FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines — Soldiers of the Philippines Army 5th and 7th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division participated in a subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) on bundle drop and sling load operations training during Salaknib 25 at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, March 25, 2025.
Sling loading is properly rigging the load to the aircraft so it will fly smoother through the air, minimize the drag, and prevent load instability and oscillation.
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Trevor Colclasure, an airdrop systems technician with the 25th Division Sustainment Brigade, 18th Transportation Detachment, instructed the sling load portion of the training.
“The U.S. uses different expendable items than the Philippine Army does when it comes to airdrops,” said Cloclasure. “For example, they use water bottles as a ground compressor, while we use an item called an ‘energy dissipating material’. It’s important to learn from them because if we don’t have access to those items, we need to adapt to accomplish the mission.”
Colclasure provided subject matter expert training and expertise on reception, staging, onward movement, and integration (RSOI) during Salaknib 25. Through classroom instruction and open discussion, the Philippine and U.S. Army exchange knowledge, techniques, and skill sets to further develop a ready warfighting force.
“We want to see what kind of methods and tactics they use when supplying their soldiers at war,” said Maclee Castanares, logistics officer of the 25th Division Sustainment Brigade, 18th Transportation Detachment.
Sling load operations provide rapid movement of heavy, outsized equipment or emergency supplies directly to forces on the ground by bypassing surface obstacles and allowing for rapid relocation. Establishing multiple landing zones and flight routes allows greater support to maneuvering units and greater movement flexibility.
“It’s very beneficial for our forces to have this combined capability because of the jungle environment we may operate in,” said Colclasure. “Sling loading helps us move equipment and be mission-ready faster than we would be with trucks.”
Salaknib 25 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences.
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2025 23:02 |
| Story ID: | 494074 |
| Location: | FORT MAGSAYSAY, PH |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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